Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth, it can have a devastating effect on you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in Birth defect lawsuit defects could help you file for compensation to cover the costs of caring for your disabled children. Legal claims for birth defects are complicated and it is essential to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to adhere to a set of standards when treating pregnant women or their babies. A doctor can be held responsible for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits can assist you in determining whether your child's condition could be the result of an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could be liable for an injury to the fetus if they fail in diagnosing or adequately respond to fetal distress. This can result in a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy such as cerebral palsy.

The distinction between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic makeup, while injuries are caused by an event that occurs during pregnancy, labor, or birth. Injury can include Erb's Palsy where the nerves that control the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is caput succedaneum - an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of them can cause lifelong disability, and ongoing treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to examine your situation and determine the best option for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may be able help parents determine the reason behind the birth injury of a child. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and the factors that influence the mother's pregnancy, they can also occur due to medications. Many common medications have a significant effect on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most commonly used. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of limb and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

A doctor's responsibility is to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, they could be held accountable for malpractice. Pharma companies could also be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers about the dangers that come with their medication. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects occurring in first-trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can help families get reimbursement for future and ongoing medical expenses that result from the disability or injury and also loss of earnings and the quality of life. This could include hospital fees as well as doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, in addition to assistive devices, and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring an action on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the root of birth defects so that they can bring a case against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at workplace or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects include the fungicides, metals, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as teratogens due to the fact that they interfere with the normal development of a foetus by causing chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs or Birth defect lawsuit hinder normal cell function. These chemicals are present in a variety settings, including processing of semiconductors and metal cleaning.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects are the aliphatic hydrocarbons like dichloroethane and trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals are known to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to make companies accountable for the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have won significant settlements for families whose children were born with severe defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defect law firm defects are caused by the combination of medical negligence and environmental factors or chemicals. If a family is concerned that the birth defect in their child could result from medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should speak with an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

If pregnant women consume or absorb contaminants from the surrounding environment they could develop serious birth defects. Teratogens are the names given to these substances. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals are dangerous to pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking waters or cadmium in coal that has been contaminated for instance, may cause birth defects and other health issues. Industrial solvents such as trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol ethers, used in the production of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays are known to increase the chances of having birth defects as well.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a variety of birth defects caused by wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at work or at home. These lawsuits usually involve a complicated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, including toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine experts and embryologists.